The Harrison Square Project is a dismal failure to date
Posted by Mike Sylvester - 1/9/10 @ 12:15 pm - Filed Under City Council, Featured, Local Politics
I opposed the Harrison Square Project along with a large majority of Fort Wayne residents. After the project was approved I still posted about it; however, I posted a great deal less about it.
The Harrison Square Project is a complete failure by any definition.
The supporters cling to the fact that at great tax payer expense a pretty new baseball stadium was built downtown. I agree that the new baseball stadium is very nice and that it is a pleasant place to watch a baseball game.
There are several reasons that the Harrison Square Project is a dismal failure:
1. A large number of tax payer dollars were spent on a project that a majority of residents opposed. With the recession and the decrease in City tax revenues I think there is little doubt that the City could better spend those same tax dollars today if they were not already allotted to this project.
2. The project has not resulted in the downtown development we were promised. The City kept saying that this project would act as a stimulus and that commercial development would increase downtown. This has certainly not been the case. As I pointed out earlier in this post all that has occurred is the baseball fans visit downtown and spend some money downtown rather than at the old location; this is clearly “economic re-arrangement” rather than economic development. Does anyone remember the “promises” that we heard that businesses would relocate to Fort Wayne if there was just a pretty new baseball stadium downtown?
3. The main reason this project was forced down the throats of Fort Wayne taxpayers was the Condo’s and Commercial space that was to be built using a significant amount of private investment; this project became known as “The Harrison.” This project was supposed to already be built; however, it has not even got started yet because the Developer cannot get financing. Worse yet; when Fort Wayne residents thought the developer had financing they could not get a significant number of commitments to purchase downtown Condos. I am sure everyone remembers the consultants report that was purchased at taxpayer expense that insisted we had a shortage of Condo’s downtown and that there was demand for downtown Condos in Fort Wayne…
Some of the supporters of the project will insist that it is not the Developers fault that they cannot get financing for the project; afterall, there is a credit crisis in this country. While the previous sentence is true, consider that one member of City Council requested financial statements concerning the Developer. The City (along with Tim Pape) rebuffed this request and basically told the member of City Council (Don Schmidt) that they had reviewed the financials and everything would be fine. I was present at the City Council meeting and the attitudes of the City and Councilman Pape concerning that request was appalling…
We are all paying for that lapse of sound fiscal prudence. No sane person or entity would consumate a deal of this size without a thorough review of the Developers finances to ensure they could finance the project.
If you think the Harrison Square Project is a success please let us know why!
Mike Sylvester
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13 Responses to “The Harrison Square Project is a dismal failure to date”
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Mike, there is only one thing I disagree with on your great article.
“that the city could better spend those same tax dollars today if they were not already allotted to this project.”
No, they would blow it on something else that had the same effect. Dump it into buying a building that needs major renovation and call that progress. Hiring consultants to tell them that people are confused downtown and they need to make Calhoun Street one way. Before someone says the new hotel. Let’s wait and see what happens to the old holiday inn. I’m sure this new hotel will just replace that one and once again no new net job gain. Just the typical governmental money shift.
Spend, spend, spend. Not enough spend some more.
If the dollar collapses, that could make the bonds easier to pay off, assuming the bond holders even bother to collect. So it would be like getting a ballpark for free!
If the dollar collapses, then we can kiss good buy your home, your job, savings, and more, but the community gets a free ball park. Is it worth the effort to look for the silver lining in any pile dung?
I have had hundreds of friends and family members come up to Fort Wayne from Indianapolis, Kokomo, Marion, just to see the new baseball diamond and see downtown Fort Wayne specifically because of the new diamond. None of them cared about baseball in Fort Wayne before the downtown diamond was built but all of them want to come back and be part of more stuff happening…. It takes time to build the right mix of assortments downtown. We need more activities, nightclubs, restaurants etc and I think perhaps a casino/hotel replacing the condo plan might be a better idea for Fort Wayne and downtown then just another hotel. That would provide a bit of entertainment, and boost the downtown area.
I can’t expect great change in a year. But the change we have seen is significant enough to enjoy what has been accomplished so far. This isn’t the Jay Leno Show..
Fort Wayne is not Las Vegas.
Fort Wayne doesn’t need a casino.
It needs an environment where the mom and pop places (i.e. small businesses) can flourish.
How many bars/restaurants/clubs have closed in Fort Wayne over the past two years? Bunches. Is it because there wasn’t a casino? Um no. Were these just fly-by-night establishments? No.
I’m just clueless why anyone - especially if you were born and raised in Fort Wayne - would want this city to be known as another two-bit casino rest-stop on the way to bigger and better things.
That’s a horrible legacy to leave future generations. I can just see it now. We’ll have FWCS designing a prep program for high school kids to get that local casino job.
And I highly doubt your claim that you have “hundreds of friends” who visit Fort Wayne just for the new baseball/baseball stadium. That’s sheer lunacy - on so many levels.
■Kristina Frazier-Henry asks:
How many bars/restaurants/clubs have closed in Fort Wayne over the past two years? Bunches. Is it because there wasn’t a casino? Um no. Were these just fly-by-night establishments? No.
Think smoking ordinance.
Scott Demarko, yes many like the new stadium. The problem is it has a bad business model. Of the dollars spent in Fort Wayne, how much goes back to the city to pay the bonds? The sales tax goes to Indy and is sent back so even if Ft. Wayne gets the full 7%, for every $100 spent outside of the admission, the city could get $7 plus the$1 for each seat. Given it cost millions, and the bond interest is over 5%, you might want to do a calculation as to how many people need to come each year from outside Fort Wayne spending (new money) in Fort Wayne to even pay the interest. Given the capacity and the number of games, you can do a back of the envelope calculation for fesiblity.
As for you can’t expect great change in a year, you are correct. The problem is with each year that goes buy without being able to support itself, the cost to taxpayers goes up. After seven years, the cost just doubled and if it was difficult to pay for in the first year, it will be even more difficult seven years from now. The mentality in Fort Wayne is little different from the national governments thinking that they can create economic growth. In reality they can destroy economic growth at worst and distort and change economic growth at best.
Scott, an economy that depends on tourism is destined to stagnate. Sure, your friends and family came here last year, and maybe they’ll come again this year. Will they still be coming if the Tincaps have a record that’s less than .500? Will they still come after the novelty has worn off but the bonds have yet to be paid off?
Scott
If you had hundreds of friends and family from all over Indiana to walk around downtown Fort Wayne, they need to all get a life. If they get bored next summer, send them over to my house to watch the grass grow. If I’m in the right mood, I’ll paint something and they can watch it dry. That ought to keep them in awe for hours.
Scott, I wish I had hundreds of friends. Right now, I’d settle for 5 or 6 good ones. You are truly blessed.
Let’s wait and see when the newness of the stadium wears off and the team is playing under .500
It will make for good conversation.
Having come from California (orange county) to Fort Wayne, and performed at events in LA, Vegas, and across the US before moving here, I can tell you the nightlife lacks first an audience (people who actually are concerned enough that will make a trip out and pay to attend) and it lacks funding to pay the entertainers who are really talented, the pay they should be getting. My reason for wanting a casino is clear. I started working the bar scene 6 years ago in Fort Wayne. When cherry masters were found at all the bars I was making $500-$900 a night DJing. When cherry masters were removed my pay was almost immediately cut from the going rate to half that. When the smoking ban went into effect that caused the casual party crowd to be cut in half, that also cut my pay in half again. That kind of down turn in pay for entertainment in Fort Wayne is pretty much the case for every type of performer from rock, hip hop, karaoke etc. Its REALLY hard to make a living performing in nightclubs and that is hard to accept as I used to make a very good living working in bars & venues that paid their entertainers appropriately. After performing over 500 shows in Indiana in the last 6 years, the one place I make the most money is Casino’s. They pay the bands on average of $1500-$3000 for a typical local band like “brother” or “Third Frame”. I’d be a big fan of “mom and pop” establishments that could pay the entertainment appropriately but I don’t see it, and believe me I work the scene very well and know the trends. As for the downtown projects, the places I go to the most are columbia street west, flashbacks, cancun, the grand wayne center (that amazingly under used facility that is beautiful in every way) and the new baseball diamond. In case you were un-aware there have been a ton of events, parties, and fundraisers held in the ballrooms at the ball diamond that have raised a great deal of money for agency’s in need. Ask the YLNI who did a great event there for New Years. All that being said, nobody said tax dollars are wisely spent all the time, but if the choices are build something amazing, or not and hope people come, I think the story goes “if you build it, they will come”. I think downtown is a future FIELD OF DREAMS just waiting to reach its full potential. As for the casino idea, i’d be fine with cherry masters being allowed in bars again, that alone brought in an average of $2,000-$5,000 a week in most small bars, or didn’t you know that?
To the poor guy who doesn’t have 6 friends, I’ll add you on facebook. Oh and the chick who thinks my friends coming to Fort Wayne is lunacy, perhaps your right. They must all be crazy, but i’m not from here and I know far more people from outside the city then I do in it. (I know around 3,000 people in the city)
To the writer (*mike) , kudo’s to you! Even though I may not agree with every word, it was a well written opinion piece that I did enjoy reading.
They are trying to do the same thing in Augusta, GA. It is amazing the similarities! Could someone from your group please contact us. Concerned citizens in Augusta, GA are trying to stop this from happening to them. It would be great to be able to share information on this. Here is a video the citizens group presented before the Augusta commission in July of this year. What is the status now?